


Live Your Creed

by RavenLied



Category: Tales of Berseria, Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Gen, Tales of Berseria Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-17 05:08:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16968258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenLied/pseuds/RavenLied
Summary: After years of sea-faring, adventuring and battling countless foes, Eizen returns to visit his sister Edna, and tell her the secret of his dreaded fate. Much easier to think about doing than to actually do, it seems.





	1. The Last Wave

**Author's Note:**

> First real thing I've ever written so happy to hear whatever anyone has to say about it. I decided to go for an alternative take on Eizen's transformation into a dragon cos I thought it'd be a cool little scenario.

Gazing out at the deck of the Van Eltia from on high was a cloaked figure, with a heavy weight hanging over him. Over the years he had sailed many seas and seen the vastness of the world, in addition to the countless wonders it had presented to him on his travels with his various companions; but this journey would be the toughest of them all. 

It had taken years of letters and gifts, denial and internal conflict, but finally Eizen had convinced himself; he would return to visit his sister, he would tell her the truth and make peace with her. Thinking on it, as he so often did, Eizen’s relationship with his beloved little sister was not exactly bad, nor was it by any means fragile. They were both extremely blunt people, however, he could not forgive himself for leaving Edna on her own for so long. She was only young, and whilst yes, he reasoned, he had sent Phoenix to look after her, it was his duty as her brother to look after her. Were anything to befall Edna during his absence, Eizen would never be able to forgive himself.  
But wasn’t that half the reason he was visiting her? Not being able to look after her was not unusual, the real reason he had left her was his inability to do this very thing; with a little help from his curse. This burden had made it more dangerous to attempt to stay and look after the delicate younger Malak than it would be to leave her alone. It’s not like she was weak by any stretch of the imagination, she was a capable wielder of Earth based Artes, however that never stops the concerns of a doting older brother.  
Unfortunately, this visit was not one made solely for the purpose of catching up with his sister. The Reaper needed to impart upon her his last loving words, the thoughts he struggled to express within his letters, and ultimately, to find an isolated spot to prevent himself from harming others.

After Eizen’s encounter with Zaveid and Theodora, the malevolence she exuded was absorbed by the Reaper himself, and he knew from that moment that it would not be long before he met the same fate. In spite of this, Eizen was determined not to cause harm to anyone when he lost himself, especially his sister. He had also secretly hoped that, perhaps being near her might save his own soul, but this was hope he did not place much stock in. Realistically speaking he knew from the moment he came into contact with such a high concentration of malevolence that his fate was sealed. Hell, if he hadn’t thought it himself he wouldn’t have made such a grim promise with Zaveid.

After their battle with Artorius and Innominat, Eizen, Rokurou, Eleanor and Magilou went their separate ways. In spite of the knowledge that this battle would reverse the increase in general human resonance, thus making the First Mate invisible to his crew, he knew without question that it was the right thing to do. It had been an awfully long time since he’d seen any of them, however he had overheard whispered tales of a crazed daemonic swordsman, a bizarrely styled one woman menagerie blazing through town, and a kind, strong-willed young lady bouncing from village to village, rebuilding homes and lives. Eizen had lost track of how long it had been since Benwick and the crew lost their ability to see him, but he did not let this bother him. He still made their voyages interesting, and whenever it suited him, the Reaper would steer the Van Eltia in his own direction. This, he thought, would be the final time he took them off course.


	2. The Reaper's Heart

As the Van Eltia pulled into port, Benwick was greeted by a disgruntled gentleman, whose voice seemed to raise with every syllable that escaped his ferociously cantankerous lips. The resulting cacophony of profanity was only matched by the shrieking of the seagulls overhead, circling the harbour in hopes of nabbing an easy meal. Eizen brushed past his crew mate, patting his shoulder as a signal of farewell, and headed towards the small port town.   
Benwick, whose voice was still being drowned out by his verbal assailant, froze for a split second, placing his hand on his shoulder. A tear forced its way out and trickled down his cheek as he stood in there in confusion. Then it hit him.   
”Oh, right…”  
He looked at the ground for a second, still being berated for the docking of the ship, as his thoughts slowly brought him back to reality.   
”Fine. Whatever you say old man. We’re heading into town to buy some supplies and then we’re leaving. No compromise.”  
He started walking back to the Van Eltia to summon the rest of the crew, ordering two to accompany him and the rest to stand guard. Benwick gazed towards the town as he waited for his companions, and whispered to himself:  
”Goodbye First Mate. It’s been an honour sailing with ya.”

Eizen was approaching the gates on the far side of town when he felt a nostalgic air encompass his mind and body, forcing him to look back. He could vaguely make out the mast of the Van Eltia beyond the tall buildings and the town’s furthest gates. He smiled, then turned back and snuck through the gates before he had the chance to see any of his crew again, lest he lose conviction and return to his life at sea. 

Beyond the gates lie a vast field of green, with flowers decorating a large percentage of the path Eizen intended to walk. In the distance he saw it; his goal. A towering mountain peak, devoid, from an outsider’s perspective, of any life beyond the odd travelling merchant or daemon. This was where he would find his sister, Edna.   
The Reaper made his way through the vast greenery before him, passing many humans as he went: children, playing together in the fields, merchants making their way towards town to peddle their goods, but then his eyes rested upon something out of place. His gaze cast itself to a tree further afield. He could vaguely make out what looked like a dark vine wrapping itself around the trunk of the tree, but then he caught it. A faint glimmer of red, directed unmistakably, with venomous accuracy and mal-intent towards the frolicking children in the field. Eizen was not normally one to meddle in business that did not concern him, however needlessly harming children was not something he would overlook. Any one of those kids could be someone’s beloved brother or sister, he thought, and he would not allow them to come to harm. 

He started slowly for the tree at which the daemon was hidden, making sure to seem as if he was not looking at it, but moving cautiously all the same. Without warning, the daemon launched itself out from behind the tree and bolted towards the group of children. Eizen only had a small window in which to act. As the daemon drew closer to the small group, Eizen picked up the pace and ran head first towards the fiend, his fist clenched by his side, ready to strike.   
One young boy had noticed the daemon coming towards them and called out:  
”Hey mister, are you okay?”  
The daemons pace did not falter. Unrelenting were its steps upon the ground, trampling with fervour ever closer to its prey. Eizen drew his fist back as he came closer to his foe, and as they were about to collide, stopped dead in his tracks, leaned forwards, taking his back foot through a sharp twisting motion and launched his clenched fist at the cheek of the daemon. The speed of the collision caused a slight shock wave. Eizen’s fist caught the daemon square on the cheek, and with the grip he had established, the Reaper slammed his foe face first into the ground. The daemon screeched, flinging it’s claws towards Eizen, one of which nicked his arm and he retracted his fist. Beyond this however, the encounter was very one sided.   
Eizen landed one more direct punch to the creature as it lay on the floor, and then leapt into the air and crashed down into it, with one last decisive blow to the back. The daemon lay there, lifeless and the children stared in complete shock, as the man they saw run towards them was incapacitated without explanation.   
After the fight was through, the Reaper withdrew his hands to his side and stared down the lifeless corpse to ensure it would not stand again. Once he was satisfied, he began once again, to head on his way to the mountain.   
”It won’t be long now Edna. I promise.”  
With the wind at his back, and his hair brushing his cheeks, cloak billowing menacingly, and his conviction fresher than ever, he journeyed on, for two more days, until he stood at the base of what he and his sister formerly referred to as ‘home’.   
He peered over to a part of the mountain that looked as if it had once been at least slightly looked after by anyone who may have been there and smiled.   
”Took you long enough” said the delicately framed girl, holding an umbrella in both her hands, draping it across her shoulder.  
”Sorry. What have I missed?” He smiled at his sister and walked towards her, secretly dreading the encounter before him.


	3. Watch Your Step

Upon meeting, the two Earth Malakhim strode up the mountainside, without a word spoken by either. The breeze trickled along their shoulders and between their arms, swaying their hair ever so slightly, as the sun beat down upon them almost unrelentingly. In spite of this, it did not feel scorchingly hot, in fact the heat was excellently contrasted by the light breeze, creating an environmental sense of euphoria in the surrounding area. Birds could be heard chirping in the distance, and light white clouds swam across the vast blue sky.  
After trekking along the mountain for what felt like barely a moment, the two happened upon a slightly more flat, open area at which they unanimously decided to stop and sit together, gazing out at the vast landscape laid out before them.   
”So,” she said distantly, slowly casting her vision to the floor beneath her feet.  
”So?” Eizen feigned ignorance, but he knew the words that would next leave his sisters’ mouth.  
“Don’t give me that. You spent years away in order to protect me from your curse, even though you wanted to be here protecting me yourself.”  
”What’s your point?” He said raising an eyebrow.  
”Don’t interrupt.” The remark was swift and cold, but all too familiar to Eizen, bringing a slight curvature to the edge of his lips.  
”Given that you’ve been gone so long, something serious must have happened. You didn’t turn senile in your old age, did you? Did you forget that you had told me about your sea-faring crew, though that phrasing is probably more polite than they’re worthy of.”  
“You? Polite? Ha.” Eizen averted his gaze to the clouds above, struggling to produce the words that needed to be said; the words he came here specifically to say.  
“Got me there. But whatever. So, what is it then, Mr. Reaper?”  
”I’ve decided to abandon my life at sea. I’ve seen many incredible things: complicated weaponry from the far continent, towering volcanoes, an island filled with nothing but little Normin. The wonders of this world are more than I could ever hope to count, and these experiences have changed me as a man, for the better.”  
“Right, sure you’ve seen some cool stuff. But why would that make you come back? If you love it all so much then why stop?”   
Edna tilted her head slightly to the left, trying to get a better look at her brothers’ eyes. There was always a deep layer of thought hidden beneath those sky blue irides, and she could never quite make out what they were focused on.   
Eizen threw his gaze to his sister, renewing his resolve.   
”Look,” he said, his voice growing slightly sterner.  
”I’ve explored the sea for decades, my former crew are all getting on in years and probably won’t be sea-farers much longer, and I’ve decided to move on and explore the land on my own for a while.”  
“Ah, I see. So basically, you’re just dropping in on the way to your next big destination.”  
“Does that bother you?” His expression softened, almost somewhat apologetically.  
“No, not really. I just thought it might be nice if you stayed here for a while; not that I really expected much different coming from you.”   
Her words had become somewhat cold and distant. It was clear to Eizen that his sister was becoming agitated and maybe even emotional, but still he could not contain himself from blurting out his defensive response:  
“Now what is that supposed to mean?”   
“Oh nothing. It’s just that I assumed it had to be something important, given that you came to see me and all.”  
Eizen clenched his teeth, hoping his sister would not notice.   
Of course it’s important, damn it  
he thought to himself, and yet still, the Reaper bit his tongue, caught between two minds. Be honest with her and hurt her, or lie and hope she never finds out; neither option seemed optimal. 

The Reaper rose from his sitting position and looked down at his sister, who returned it with a slightly disinterested stare, almost as if she were in fact daydreaming.   
”Edna.”  
“Hm?”  
Her eyes became more focused, and she sat listening intently, though begrudgingly.  
“I also wanted to warn you of someone I met on my travels.”  
”Oh? And who might that be?”  
Her response maintained its’ inherent disinterest, whilst teasing a hint of amusement at this proposal of an individual whom her brother would consider to be worth ‘warning’ her about. Edna knew very well this meant one thing and one thing alone.   
”His name is Zaveid. He and I have clashed several times and he’s a formidable foe, however that’s not why I-”  
“He said he’d marry me didn’t he?”  
Edna cut her brother off mid-sentence, irritating him to no end, until he had realised what his sister had said and looked at her utterly puzzled.  
“How do you always know that’s what I’m going to say?”  
“Because, my dear elder brother, the only time you ever warn me about anyone, is when they want to marry me. You’re far too protective. It makes you that much easier for me to read.”  
She grinned mockingly at him, and Eizen could do nothing but hold his forehead in one hand and sigh. Relinquishing his forehead, Eizen stares at his sister, scowling.  
“If he goes anywhere near you I swear I’ll-”  
“Yes, yes you’ll kill him. What else is new?”  
“Enough of the sarcasm young lady.” Eizen glanced at her disapprovingly.  
“Sarcasm is my sole means of sustenance, without it, I would die.”  
Edna threw her brother a solemn gaze, feigning sorrow.  
“Hilarious. Anyway look at this rare stag beetle I found whilst I was travelling!”  
Edna leapt into the air, using an Arte to form a stone pillar beneath her so that she towered at least three feet above her brother.  
”KEEP YOUR FILTHY INSECTS AWAY FROM ME YOU PLUNDERING SCOUNDREL!”  
“Now now, that’s no way to talk to ol’ Stefan here.”  
”I don’t care what it’s called get that disgusting buzzard away from me” she hissed.   
”Edna buzzards are birds, not beetles.”  
”THAT IS HARDLY THE ISSUE!”   
She leapt down from her makeshift pillar and held her umbrella in front of her for protection from this dastardly foe.  
“Relax, he’s totally harmless.”  
“I don’t care. He’s disgusting. Take him away.”  
Eizen returned the beetle from the pocket whence it came, and Edna, relieved that her assailant was now safely tucked away, rested her umbrella on her shoulder once more.   
“Anyway,” Eizen said, holding his stomach. ”I’ve brought some delicacies from overseas with me. Wanna try some?”  
Edna glared at her brother, having still not entirely forgiven him for the previous incident.   
”Sure” she said. ”But just don’t think that because you’re feeding me I’ll forget this transgression.”  
”I wouldn’t dream of it.”  
The two headed back down the mountainside to their former makeshift home, and began preparing the ingredients as best they could.


	4. The Only Way is Forward

“There’s a reason we’re not supposed to cook” she said, half amused, half disappointed.  
”Shut up.” The response was curt and Edna was slightly taken aback.   
“So what’s next for us then?” She posed her brother this question, sounding distant but attentive.  
“Well…” Eizen trailed off. He was not sure how to respond to this. After the years of separation he was unsure of how to tackle this stage of the interaction; the confession.  
“Let me guess,” Edna said, rising elegantly to her feet.   
“You’re not intending to stay much longer are you?”  
Eizen said nothing, staring towards the mountainside, clinging to his own silence.  
“What is it? Scared of your curse putting me in danger again? No it wouldn’t be that, it has to be something more than that. After all that curse has kept you from me for years.” Edna’s gaze settled upon her brother, whose eyes were growing increasingly distant; guilt clouding their lenses.   
“Is wanting to see my sister after all this time truly so bizarre?” The reply was spoken more into open air than directed at his sister, but even Eizen knew this excuse was as weak as they came.  
“Ha” Edna’s glare weakened, and her grip tightened around her umbrella. 

The conversation trailed off and the two Malakhim lingered in silence, neither daring to move; fearing that any movement might sever the excruciating tension in the air. Eventually Eizen caved in and stood up, sighing heavily as he turned to his sister.  
“I have an errand to take care of. I’ll be back later today so don’t worry.”  
Edna looked up at him and simply stated: “I never worry.”  
“Ha. Sure thing.” Eizen walked past his sister, toward the base of the mountain, taking his coin from his pocket and flicking it into the air. Upon the descent, the Reaper snatched it from the air, and gazed at the result he held within his palm. Not sure what else I expected, he thought to himself, returning his vessel to his pocket and focusing once more on the path before him.   
Edna looked upon the figure of her brother, fading slowly into the scenery beneath her. What so ever he may be hiding, she had resolved to find out, regardless of the cost. He may have his reasons for keeping it from me, she posed, but I still have to know. It’s not like him to be this secretive. She decided that it may be best to follow her brother in order to gain a better understanding of his true reason for visiting her. As Edna made her way, slowly and cautiously down the mountainside, following the Reaper’s footsteps at a safe distance so as not to attract his attention, she pondered what might trouble a stoic man such as her brother to such a degree. Edna considered that perhaps he had found himself a lover, though she swiftly shirked this idea as Eizen’s prior mannerisms did not strike her as coy, rather he seemed fraught with guilt and deep thought.   
It was rare for the girl to see her brother like this, a man so bold and powerful that he barely flinched at the sight of the most powerful daemons. He had defended her so staunchly as his curse brought them threat after threat, danger upon life-threatening danger. His resolve only wavered once it occurred to him that, maybe, she would be safer on her own. The thought of leaving his sister was one of the most painful things Eizen had ever experienced, having cared for her since birth. Edna could vaguely recall that her name had been bestowed upon her by her brother. He was all she had ever known in this world, her comfort, her strength and most importantly her only family. Had it not been for Eizen’s protection, it is entirely possible that she may have been killed or consumed by a daemon, without anyone ever even knowing of her existence. It was pondering on these thoughts that brought about her staunch resolve. After all her brother had done for her, she had to get to the bottom of his visit, and with any luck, repay at least a little of the support he had offered her through life.   
Whilst it is true that he was absent for many years of her life, he had always sent letters, gifts and been in touch with her as much as he could, though not always with complete honesty. It took Eizen quite some time to confess to his sister the company that he kept on his voyages. Edna had, of course, been able to pick up on her brother’s dishonesty, and did, what she considered to be the only way of making him be honest with her; she ignored his letters. Of course this was not entirely true, she thought, as she did indeed read them regularly, however she had elected not to respond to them until he was fully honest with her. This tactic appeared to bear fruit, in spite of the fact that Eizen knew what his sister was doing, he decided -with much cajoling from his comrades- to share the truth with her, upon which she finally responded, and positively at that, much to her brother’s surprise.   
Edna was forced back into reality when she realised that she had lost sight of her brother, whose figure was no where in sight.  
”Oh great” she said to herself looking around absent-mindedly. “now if I were a big ol’ edge lord in a black cloak, where would I be…” Edna moved to slightly higher ground, near a tree, the leaves of which drooped half-way down its trunk like the umbrella twisting between Edna’s fingers. She leant against the tree, scanning the surrounding area for a dark shadowy figure until her eyes landed upon a daemon laying lifelessly upon the ground a short distance from a cavern entrance to the west. Well that certainly looks like his doing, she thought to herself, before hopping down towards the daemon. Sure enough, she could vaguely make out a fist imprint upon the creatures’ chest, where her brother had obviously struck it with extreme force.   
”Into the cavern we go, I suppose.” Edna readied herself for a bumpy ride, caverns did always tend to be rife with daemons after all. 

* * *  
Eizen found himself in this cavern after wandering aimlessly for a while, deep in thought. He knew he would have to tell her, for the fallout if he did not and then suddenly ceased correspondence with her would be far more disastrous. It would break her heart to hear the news, but it would be far harder on her if she found out for herself when he swooped at her without remorse. Suddenly the Reaper found himself surrounded by Daemons, five in total he counted, all charging towards him from different directions. He lunged towards the one directly in front of him, landing a harsh blow to the shoulder, throwing the creature off balance, causing it to crash to the floor to his left in a howling heap. His peripheral vision immediately caught two approaching from his right side at high speed. He turned to face his foes, but was not quite fast enough. One had launched itself at his head, foaming at the mouth. Eizen’s instinct reaction was to duck, but as he did so the daemon directly behind his initial assailant swiped at him and caught him across the arm and leg, causing a moderate slash wound and staggering Eizen backwards into the foe he had just knocked over. The Reaper managed to regain his balance and threw a punch at the one responsible for his wounds, catching it square in the face and flinging it at the wall with the tremendous force of the strike. As it collided with the wall, it whimpered and collapsed in a heap. One down, four to go, you got this. He reassured himself internally, a group of measly daemons should not be a problem for him, he thought, so why? Why was he struggling against these minor foes, I’ve fought gods damn it, what is going on!? This second of weakness brought on by his distraction was readily exploited by his remaining foes, who darted in his direction with mouths gaping and claws at the ready. They smelt foul. The mixture of pure malevolence mixed with the blood of his defeated foe, their own breath and Eizen’s open wound created a twisted cacophony of odours that almost made him feel nauseous as he attempted to defend himself. Two polar opposites, the blood of daemons and malakhim mixing produced such a putrid mixture that a lesser man may have fainted.   
As the remaining Daemons clashed with him, Eizen was pushed backwards, but managed to maintain his balance, and used his weight to throw back a devastating punch with immense force, launching one Daemon into another and taking him out as if he were a pin in a bowling alley. The two defeated Daemons bundled together and lay immobile as Eizen re-focused upon his two remaining foes. Glaring at him with their glowing red eyes, the two Daemons sneered, and growled in his direction, baring their fangs as they braced for another attack. Eizen took slow, weighted steps forward and, with blood dripping down his arm, raised it to his side in a fist and broke into a sprint. In anticipation of this frontal assault, the two daemons split off and flanked the Reaper, who managed to follow one and land half a punch to his victims abdomen. Eizen’s adversary shirked back, swinging it’s claws in self-defence as it withdrew deeper into the cavern. As he turned to face his final remaining adversary, Eizen collapsed to the ground in seething pain. The final daemon had snuck behind him and plunged its’ fangs into Eizen’s left calf, destroying his balance and bringing him to the floor. The Daemon stood menacingly over Eizen’s beaten and bloodied body as he struggled to his feet in order to respond to his assailant.   
The last act occurred in an instant. Eizen removed the coin from his pocket and flicked it into the air, just as his daemonic foe slashed at him, with his arm at full stretch. The following seconds felt as if they occurred in slow motion. Eizen weaved his way to the side of the blow, avoiding it entirely, and then launched a full assault with a barrage of seemingly never-ending punches at his enemy. Relentlessly striking his enemy from left to right, again and again, never letting up until suddenly, he delivered one last decisive strike to the chin, an uppercut with immense ferocity, as he turned away and snatched his vessel out of the air once more upon its’ downward arc. Leaving his enemy beaten to a bloody pulp upon the floor, he pocketed the coin and whispered to the corpse: “Perfect Mayhem.”   
Eizen clumsily stumbled across the cavern before crashing down to the floor, breathing heavily. He looked up at the ceiling and chuckled to himself, So much for a little stress relief he thought to himself, before his surroundings closed in around him and darkness consumed his vision. 

* * *  
When Eizen came to, his eyelids struggled to drag themselves towards his forehead, flickering several times, as a round figure surrounded on all sides bar the bottom by golden locks of delicate hair.  
”Huh…?” He finally managed to snap his eyes fully open, and was taken aback by his sister’s face, which found itself mere inches from his own. He shirked back slightly, finding himself in a seated position, his back leaning against a tall tree, whose dropping branches created a somewhat comforting blanket of leaves that surrounded a respectable radius. His sister leapt backwards, slightly flustered by her brother’s sudden awakening, hoping he had entirely noticed her presence.   
”Finally awake then are you?” Edna said, composing herself before Eizen had the chance to notice anything was amiss. He rubbed his eyes with a closed fist, before turning to his sister with a quizzical look in his eye.   
”How long was I out? And why are you here?” Edna closed her umbrella, twisting it in her hand and piercing it into the soft earth beneath her, whilst throwing her brother a scowl.   
”Oh thank you Edna, I’m so glad you were there to save me from those Daemons that just kicked my ass. What a wonderful sister you are!” Eizen glared at his sister with an extraordinary grimace plastered across his face.   
”I didn’t ask for any help.”  
”No you didn’t, which is exactly why you got so badly beaten up.” Edna’s expression was almost tauntingly smug, however beneath the layer of passive aggression she felt sincere concern for her brother. She tugged at her umbrella, releasing it from its’ earthly confines and began berating her brother for getting into such a reckless situation. This exchange continued for several minutes until eventually he asked the one question she could not quite find the right answer for:  
”So then, why were you following me exactly?” His comment sounded less accusatory and more like a passive aggressive response one might give when losing an argument with a parent. And yet still, Edna was entirely stumped. Sure, she could tell him the truth and say she had been tailing him to find out the true reason for his visit, but would that reek of distrust? Would her brother feel hurt that her sister no longer trusted him after all these years apart? Granted she had every right to feel that way, having been alone for so long, and yet she could not bring herself to cause her brother the pain of feeling as if the only family he had did not believe in him.   
Edna hesitated and carefully deliberated her response before answering her brother.   
”Well I’ve never seen any of my brother’s adventures; is it not natural that I might take an interest in your exploits?” Crap, there is no way he’s gonna buy that. Edna could feel her cover slipping between her fingers by the second, clutching her umbrella more tightly in response. Eizen rose to his feet, wincing as he did so, having momentarily forgotten the wounds he sustained. He awkwardly shuffled towards his sister, slowly regaining his balance and ability to walk. Once he was within arms reach of her, he raised his uninjured arm, placed it upon Edna’s shoulder and spoke in a soft, sorrow laden tone.   
”I’m sorry,” he lowered his head slightly, his eyes landing upon the ground in front of his sister’s feet.   
”Huh?” She looked at her brother in mild shock, entirely bewildered by his response.  
”I guess I was pretty transparent back on the mountain.”  
”Well…” she trailed off, not knowing how to retort to her brother’s unusually soft, apologetic words.   
”There’s something I came here to tell you, I said that much, but as you’ve probably figured out by now, I haven’t told you the entire truth.” Eizen gulped as the pain in his body disappeared, being replaced by the fear of his looming confession. “Of course I’m not bored of sailing the open seas, it’s my way of life and I would never replace it willingly; I couldn’t. Whilst it’s true that I’d also like to travel the land more than I have, I wouldn’t just give up sailing to meet that end.” Eizen’s speech now more closely resembled his standard tone, as countless memories of his voyages flashed through his mind in unison. “Anyway, on one of my many journeys, I met a man named Zaveid. I mentioned him earlier, remember?” Edna nodded, tilting her head slightly.   
”What about him?” She removed her brother’s hand from her shoulder and helped him steady himself on his feet.   
”Well on my travels I fought him several times. He was a formidable fighter, but the two of us could never truly get along. We’re far too different. Anyway most of our fights occurred because of a disagreement we had over his… partner, Theodora.”  
”Could it be? Was my stone cold brother in love!?” Edna giggled at her brother, who nudged her lightly in place of a verbal retort. His lips moulded in an instant from a light smile to a cold frown.   
”I tried to kill her.”  
”What?” Edna stared blankly at her brother, struggling to believe what she had just heard him say.  
”I tried to kill her.” He repeated. “And I was eventually successful.”  
”Why would you do that?” Edna exclaimed, sounding genuinely horrified at the thought that her brother could be so cold. She had known him fight and defeat many opponents, but never cold-heartedly slaughter an innocent woman.   
”I killed her because she was a dragon. Zaveid was trying to protect her from me, to see if he could bring her back to her original self, but he knew as well as I that no one who has become a dragon can be turned back into a Malak.”   
Edna’s expression became melancholy. She stared at the ground and muttered.   
”You could have tried…” Eizen looked upon his sister with a stoic expression.   
”It wasn’t my decision to make, but I killed Theodora in order to free Zaveid from himself. His life had been consumed with trying to bring her back from the impossible.”  
”Why would that bother you if you didn’t even like the guy?” Edna was becoming gradually more frustrated with her brother.   
”That’s not what it’s about. Whether or not I like him is secondary to the entire situation. His obsession was stopping him from leading his life the way he wanted to, and that is something I can’t stand for.”   
”So you were being selfish then.” Edna looked her brother directly in the eye, testing his mettle.   
”I suppose so. But this story has another point entirely.” Eizen’s eyes glazed over, and he instinctively clenched his fist. “Upon killing Theodora, she emitted an extraordinary amount of malevolence. Being as close as I was, a large amount of it was absorbed into my body. You understand what I’m trying to say don’t you?”  
Edna took a step back from her brother, dumbfounded by all the information he’d just poured into her.   
”I…” She hesitated as she spoke, unsure of the combination of words she needed to express herself; then it came to her. “I hate this.”  
Eizen tried to place his hand upon her shoulder once more, but she batted it away. He slumped his head to face the floor, and said once more:   
”I’m sorry, Edna.”


	5. Final Farewell

The two malakhim strode silently back home. The air around them felt heavy; dissimilar to their initial journey to the top of the mountain, which was indeed tense, however this time it felt as if they were each carrying ten tonne weights upon their shoulders, crushing them with each consecutive step. This abundant sense of emotional burden prevented either from uttering so much as an audible breath; their ears clouded by fear. The intense delights of the environment which previously brought them joy now each felt like a dagger, piercing them viciously; each ensuing impact created a deeper, ominous realisation of their morbid reality. Eizen’s boots crashed silently to the floor, over and over again in a never ending cycle of torment. His wounds were still fresh upon his leg, and they throbbed at every opportunity, however his mind was entirely preoccupied with torturous thoughts of the pain he brought about in his sister.  
Edna’s head hung almost lifelessly for the duration of their walk, consumed so thoroughly by her thoughts it seemed as if her surroundings were gradually encroaching upon her. She could not seem to focus any facet of her mind upon the situation, it all just appeared as a blur; her entire consciousness was screaming at her simultaneously. She precariously placed one hand upon her left temple and clutched at it, hoping to calm herself. In spite of her best efforts all she managed to do was isolate two words within her mind and create an unbearable focus upon them. As they collided with Edna’s over-active brain she could feel her head break out in splitting pain. Brother, dragon, brother, dragon. All her mind could focus on were these two words, and Edna felt tears crawling towards her eyes.  
The gradual procession of dull footsteps drew to a steady close as the two returned home; Edna’s spirit shattered and Eizen’s body ravaged. This day had taken a heavy toll upon the pair, accordingly they sought refuge for the night and agreed in vague body language to spend the night further apart than they perhaps normally would. Eizen found himself a relatively flat portion of land and placed himself down on his back, gazing at the slowly rising moon, wincing intermittently as his wounds flared up. Edna on the other hand found herself a large boulder to rest against and pulled her umbrella over her head to shield herself from the outside world, allowing herself to cry in peace. As her tears snaked down her cheeks, joining at her chin, her consciousness faded, fixated still upon the two words that had caused her such pain. 

* * *  
Dawn cascaded upon the malakhim, waking them from their shaky slumber. The early morning light cloaked their surroundings, gently flowing across the cloudless sky. Eizen eased himself into a sitting position and examined his wounds. His legs were still in bad shape, however the pain had subsided substantially, and he could no longer feel any irritation from his arm, and the wound was beginning to heal. He tested the functionality of his legs by rising to his feet. In spite of a slight wobble, he steadied himself swiftly and was able to stand relatively comfortably. Satisfied he strode to his sister and lightly nudged her. Edna slowly lifted her umbrella and placed it upon the ground, rubbing her eyes drowsily. As she looked up at her brother, a sense of urgency overcame her and she leapt to her feet.  
They both knew this would be their last conversation, the magnitude of this fact weighed heavily upon them, however the time for hesitation had passed. It was time for their final farewells.  
”So,” Eizen began, “we both know what’s gonna happen next.” His voice came across as surprisingly reflective to Edna.  
”Yeah, not that I like it much.” Edna’s voice carried a hint of aggression, which she immediately regretted. Eizen flashed her an apologetic glance.  
”I thought that coming back here would let me find a good place to retire to, out of the way of unsuspecting innocents.”  
”Yeah I suppose that’s true,” Edna said. “so what are you going to do now?” Eizen sighed before responding.  
”I’ve decided that I’m gonna hide at the peak of this mountain. No sane person would travel all the way up there, especially with the rumour of a dragon in the area. With any luck I won’t go too far out of the general area.”  
”That makes sense.” Edna’s head hung, leaning into her arm and knees tucked up in front of her.  
”I’m sorry it came to this, and I’m sorry that I’ve caused you such heartache.” Eizen said apologetically.  
”I don’t expect an apology. You were living life by your own principles, it’s just how you are. I’d be more upset if you’d been forced into this.” Edna was feigning confidence; hiding her tears beneath false courage.  
”I’m amazed you can be so unfazed by all this, even I’m starting to lose myself a little.” Her brother said, casting her a proud look. “I… I love you Edna. I hope you know that. You’re the most important thing in all the world to me, and I just want you to know that, if nothing else.”  
Eizen turned his back to his sister and began his jaunt to the peak. As his feet carried him, his head was filled with everything he had been through in his life; all the battles, trials and voyages. Until finally they rested upon his proudest memory: the day he named his sister. His journey seemed to last eternally and yet ended in an instant as his mind was consumed with thoughts of his sister. Eizen collapsed to his knees as he reached the peak and stared at the scenery laid out beneath him.  
”This sight is… worthy of my final gaze.” He hung his head and could feel his consciousness drifting away, when he heard it:  
”I love you too!” Edna’s scream had seemed so distant and yet it filled the air all around him, carrying Eizen onwards as his hands propped up his body. Eizen’s consciousness faded entirely, leaving behind the empty vessel of the Reaper.  
Edna remained behind when her brother left, alone with her thoughts. He would be gone by now, she thought to herself. She resolved to follow his path, and so in one fell motion Edna picked herself up and dashed, bound for the peak. As she neared the top, an earth shattering roar coursed through the air. Edna could feel her eyes beginning to water, but she fought against the urge to cry; she was determined to see him off. Atop the peak Edna gazed up; a dark pair of wings beat repeatedly, creating a current in the air. She looked on with tears in her eyes as the dragon swooped beneath the peak and rose back into the sky, flying over the horizon. Edna collapsed to the floor in a heap and openly wept.  
”Goodbye brother.” Edna wiped her tears and stared at the sun, watching her brother’s figure disappear beyond the horizon. 

 

THE END


End file.
